My Acer is dying!

Hi
Can anyone advise me as to what to do to save my Acer? Its potted and around 4 foot tall . About 3 months ago the leaves in the upper area of the tree started to dry out, go brown and crumble off!! I searched through gardeners corners past posts, and found a few threads that described similar problems, inwhich the advice was mostly to water more often. Ive since re potted the tree into a much larger tub around 75cm in diameter, and now water daily. The tree made a remarkable recovery with new healthy leaves growing where the old ones had perished.

Now 3 months later, the same seems to be happenong all over again, leaves in the upper part of the tree are turning brown and crumbling away.
I live in birmingham, England and was considering planting the tree in the ground, hoping this may help it flourish, but as its now September, am i asking for trouble?? Would it be ok to plant a tree this time of year??

If anyone can offer any advice to solve my dilema i would be very grateful.

Wayne

 

To be honest, I'm not sure about replanting at this time of year, but as for the leaves looking like they are dying, I wouldn't worry. They are not evergreen and mine dies back every autumn....about this time of year it starts! So you may find that come next spring it will be fine again

 

when is ok to prune my Acer?


regards

Stu

 

Hi,

To be honest I think it would love to be planted into the ground-it is in fact a perfect time to be planting them out.

 

mine is in the ground.

regards

Stu

 

Another thing with acers, you'll notice several short dead "white bits" on the ends of thin branches during the winter. Mine has had these for 25 years and it takes quite a bit of time in the spring snipping them off. One or two small thin branches at the bottom of the canopy can die off too, but they are replaced by new growth at the top.

We're well into September and neither of mine have yet started to turn that "firey red" you get as the leaves start to die off, it seems to happen later every year.

 

Most of the Acers around here and in my garden were damaged early this year by frost and have never fully recovered - we expect them to come into leaf again next year but maybe I shall have to move them to a more sheltered position.

 

Keep it out of the wind, get it in the ground and watch if flourish. Prune it at the end of winter.